Bintang to remain active in politics<\/p>\n
SOLO, Central Java (JP): Legislator Sri Bintang Pamungkas
\nvowed to remain an outspoken politician yesterday, even if his
\nparty's plan to fire him is eventually endorsed by the House
\nSpeaker.<\/p>\n
The House member from the Moslem-based United Development
\nParty (PPP) is facing dismissal by his party for allegedly
\nquestioning the state-ideology Pancasila.<\/p>\n
\"Whether or not I have a seat in the House of Representatives
\nis not an issue,\" he said at his high school reunion in this
\nancient city. \"What's important is that I remain a politician who
\nis free to express his opinion.\"<\/p>\n
Bintang has, on various occasions, expressed his intention to
\nset up a new political party, an idea widely considered unlikely
\nsince the law does not allow new parties.<\/p>\n
In fact, \"as a House member I have been unable to contribute
\nto public well-being,\" he said. \"I'm ashamed because, as a
\npeople's representative, I failed to push for proposals that
\nwould have increased teacher salaries and improved the public
\nwelfare in general,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Bintang was recruited by party chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum
\nto bolster the party's appeal among young people in the 1992
\ngeneral elections. Since then he has become, according to the
\nPPP, more of a problem for the party than an asset in his sharp
\ncriticism of other parties and cabinet ministers.<\/p>\n
Party leaders announced recently they would consult House
\nleaders on their plan to have Bintang removed from the House.<\/p>\n
Bintang asserts that he has always adhered to the
\nConstitution, which upholds people's sovereignty, and that he
\nnever questioned Pancasila.<\/p>\n
He pointed out, however, that it is not enough for a person to
\nclaim that he upholds Pancasila. \"It's not something you only
\nhave to memorize. You have to translate it into actions,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"Only people who really uphold Pancasila, for instance, can
\nimprove the welfare of teachers and protect people from having
\ntheir appropriated,\" he said. (har\/swe)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bintang-to-remain-active-in-politics-1447893297",
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